Blood and Groom, Dead Light District, The Lies Have It, and Frisky Business are available on Amazon Kindle!

Tuesday, January 1, 2013

Chatting with False Impressions author Sandra Nikolai

Let's start off the New Year with an interview with mystery author Sandra Nikolai!

1.On the
jacket blurb for FALSE IMPRESSIONS it says:“Montreal ghostwriter Megan Scott
falls under police suspicion when her husband and a female companion are found
murdered. In what a Québec detective calls a crime of passion, startling
evidence surfaces to also implicate Michael Elliott, a young investigative
reporter.”

There are some who say books set in Canada
don’t have or won’t find an audience – people want to see New York or Los
Angeles.Talk to me about the Montreal,
PQ setting.Would the story have worked
if you had set it in Chicago, Toronto, or London?Do you think the Montreal setting draws new
readers from hither and yon?

I chose Montreal as the setting for my book
because I grew up in this cosmopolitan city and know it well. As the largest
French-speaking city in North America, Montreal is “a little piece of Paris” that
attracts millions of tourists from all over the world each year. I wouldn’t
have had as many opportunities to integrate certain French aspects into my
story had I chosen a place outside the province of Québec. As far as major crime
is concerned, Montreal definitely holds its own in capturing international headlines
and provides an interesting backdrop for the unfolding of my murder mystery. So,
yes, I believe the Montreal setting will draw readers from all parts of the
globe.

2.Your
series features an investigative duo.FALSE IMPRESSIONS is the first book in the Megan Scott/Michael Elliott
mystery series.Why did you choose to
have a pair rather than a solo operative?Did you play around with other ideas for a pair (i.e. two females, two
guys) before deciding on Megan and Michael?

I wanted a pair of sleuths—one female, one male—as my
main protagonists from the start. I suppose I was influenced by TV shows in the
1980s that featured a pair of investigative sleuths, like Remington Steele and Laura Holt (starring Pierce Brosnan and
Stephanie Zimbalist) and Moonlighting
(starring Bruce Willis and Cybill Shepherd). My main characters, Megan and
Michael, share the same code of ethics, but their approach to solving a crime differs
in some ways. Where Megan’s work as a ghostwriter keeps her behind a desk most
of the time and she’s more comfortable digging up clues through a paper trail, Michael’s
work as investigative reporter means meeting informants in dark alleys late at
night. In FALSE IMPRESSIONS, their worlds overlap to create tense and
conflicting moments for both of them. In spite of their differences, Megan and
Michael have good chemistry between them, and a potential romantic involvement
is something I can build on in future books in the series.

3.Plot,
plot, plot... Is plotting difficult or easy?Fun or stressful?How do you
manage to move the plot along while playing fair with readers, without giving
away too much?

I begin with a plot outline but usually end up revising
it a few times. It’s fun when everything falls into place and unnerving when it
doesn’t, but the challenge of making all the pieces fit properly is worth it in
the end. It’s important to play fair with readers and present every clue in a
timely manner so that nothing is held back. It shouldn’t be too easy to solve
the mystery either, so striking the right balance is the target. I use my plot
outline to mark the spots where I’ve introduced the clues. It helps me to keep
track of them. After I complete my final draft, I’ll put it aside for a week or
so. I’ll re-read it with fresh eyes and revise where required. Then I’ll send
it to my critique group for review and, finally, to my editor. These
checkpoints flag any pacing or plotting problems before the manuscript is
published.

4.One of the reviews
on AMAZON says “elegant writing” – WOW!That’s got to make you feel good!So, how did you learn your craft?

Yes, it was a wonderful compliment and made my day! I
think the first set of picture books I received as a child inspired my love of
books. Call me a geek, but reading and writing were my preferred subjects in
school. Over time, I grew to love mysteries and couldn’t get enough of them. Reading
all sorts of mystery novels and how-to books on plotting mysteries helped me to
learn the genre, but writing helped me to develop a style and find my niche. I
haven’t stopped learning. It’s not always easy to find a different or more
creative way to express a thought, but I love what I do, so that helps.

5.Betrayal is a major
theme in FALSE IMPRESSIONS.Talk to me
about writing this emotion.How did you
feel as you wrote it?How did that theme
influence the writing and inform the characters?

We’ve all experienced betrayal to a degree. Whether a
close friend turned against us or an unfaithful partner was the reason a
relationship ended, we understand the pain of deceit and the subsequent feeling
of loss. I had to draw on these emotions so that I could get a sense of how my
characters might feel in the story. I also researched the topic and was able to
“borrow” interpretations and adapt them to the instances of betrayal that run
through my book. Ironically, many of the characters in FALSE IMPRESSIONS experience
betrayal in one form or another.

6.If you could bring
any fictional character (from any genre) to life for a day, who would you
choose and why?

Definitely Sherlock Holmes! I’d invite him into my
living room and ask him to talk about his most illustrious cases. I’d be right
by his side, taking notes on his keen observation and deductive skills, much
like Dr. Watson did. His detailed and logical approach to crime solving would
definitely help me plot my next mystery novel. J

7.F. Scott Fitzgerald
once said: “Writers aren’t exactly
people... they’re a whole lot of people trying to be one person”.Let’s hear your thoughts on this.

A writer’s objective is to weave a plot through his characters
and create a cohesive artistic effect. Since interesting characters have
complex personalities, their moods, emotions, and opinions can change from one
moment to the next. To be in everyone’s head at the same time and keep the
storyline organized and flowing is no small task for a writer, but oh, so much
fun! It’s what makes writing mysteries all the more exciting. Not only do mystery
writers have to introduce characters that are potential suspects, they also have
to keep tabs on each character’s thoughts, words, and actions so as not to disclose
the identity of the real perpetrator too soon.

Another way Fitzgerald’s comment can be interpreted is
along more technical lines. Today’s writer is also a researcher, proofreader,
critiquer, and in some cases, book formatter, cover designer, and independent
publisher. Now we’re talking!

8.If Michael Elliott
were going to enter the world of online dating, what would his dating profile
say?

Hi, everyone! I’m a man of strong convictions who
believes in helping people. I am easy-going, understanding, and trustworthy. I
keep in shape by working out and jogging. I’m looking to date a thirty-something
woman who is reliable, loves music from the 60s and 70s, and enjoys the simple
things in life. Married women need not apply.

9.Are you involved in
any writing groups or writers’ associations?Have you found these helpful?What have you learned from them?

I’m a member of Crime Writers of Canada and Capital
Crime Writers, among others. I’ve attended writing courses and conferences
offered through these associations and found them helpful. Their monthly
newsletters keep me informed about events in the field and about how my
colleagues are doing. I’m also a member of a critique group whose feedback I
appreciate and value.

10.The last question
is kind of a freebie... What is the one question you wish I had asked but
didn’t?Now go ahead and ask and answer
it.

Tell us about your next book.

The second book in the mystery series featuring Megan
Scott and Michael Elliott is titled FATAL WHISPERS and is set in Portland, Maine. The
theme revolves around the shocking deaths of a millionaire’s beautiful young
wife, a homeless woman, and a priest. I visited Portland several times and was
impressed by its quaint New England characteristics. I knew it would be the
perfect setting for the mystery I had in mind. Look for it in the spring of
2013!

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About Me

"A chick who knows the ropes won't get tied up."
Blood and Groom was published in Nov. 2009. Dead Light District was released in March 2011. The Lies Have It was released in November 2011.
For more author/book info, please see www.jilledmondson.com or follow on Twitter @JillEdmondson